- EverVigilant.net -"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." - John Philpot Curran

Who would have ever thought that it was illegal to swim across a lake in the Land of 10,000 Lakes? Tom Kleven found out the hard way (video). In training for an upcoming triathlon, Kleven attempted to swim across Lake Nokomis. When he reached the shore, he was greeted by brave members of the Minneapolis Park Police, whose job it is to harass hardened scofflaw swimmers. He was cited for "swimming too far," and could face a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Since Kleven is a physician who is now guilty of a misdemeanor, he has to report the crime every time he renews his license. All this because he didn't know that in order to swim across a lake he was required to purchase a $115 permit and have a lifeguard can follow him in a boat.

For more on Minneapolis lake regulations, check out Steve Young's commentary in the Star Tribune.